🔶Henry Lhuillier, a French national, came to the Philippines in the 1930s as a jewelry sales executive for Levy and Bloom Oceanic Commercial Department Stores. He eventually started his own by opening Agencia Cebuana in the busy downtown Cebu.
🔶 In 1969, Philippe Jones, the second son of Henry, opened his own pawnshop in Pasay City, and in 1987, Agencia Cebuana rebranded to become Cebuana Lhuillier.
Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the second son of Henry
🔶 Michel Lhuillier, the eldest son of Henry, went on to establish M Lhuillier in the early 80’s together with wife Amparito.
Michel, the eldest son of Henry Lhuillier
🔶Both Cebuana Lhuillier and M. Lhuillier seem to be present in every street corner in the country. In 2000, Cebuana Lhuillier opened its 700th branch and was recognized as the largest chain of pawnshops in the world by Guinness World Records.
🔶Today, Cebuana has more than 2500 branches while M. Lhuillier has more than 2000 and still growing.
🔶 They both have diversified into the money remittance business as well. M.L has Kwarta Padala while Cebuana has Pera Padala.
🔶 Cebuana Lhuillier owns Le Soliel Boracay Resort while M. Lhuillier owns Cebu Safari and Adventure Park and other beach resorts in northern Cebu.
Cebu Safari at Carmen, Cebu
🔶Monique Lhuillier, the world famous fashion designer based in the U.S. is the daughter of Michel.
✅Justin Uy, the Cebuano who conquered the world with sweet dried mangoes, and the business conglomerate he built around it.
✅Profood International (flagship company) products, is now being exported to more than 50 countries worldwide.
✅From mangoes, it ventured to retail development by opening JCentre Mall in 2011. J Centre Mall (CTTO)
✅An opportunity in tourism was too lucrative to resist when Imperial Palace Resort in Mactan was offered for sale. Renamed as JPark Island Resort and Waterpark, it is now one of the popular tourist destinations in Cebu. Jpark Resort Mactan
✅The company also owns Toyoko Inn, Mandaue, the first Philippine branch of the famous Japanese hotel chain (in partnership with Toyoko Inn Co. Ltd)
✅ Recently it opened the P8 billion JPark Island Resort Panglao, dubbed as the biggest waterpark resort in the country, a bold and ambitious move anchored in Bohol’s tourism potentials.Jpark Panglao Resort ✅In 2019, its real estate company, Everjust Realty, launched the 40-storey J Tower Residences, beckoning the company’s entry into the condominium industry. J Tower Residences
This is a great Cebuano success story in the making. So what’s out for more of Justin Uy and his future business endeavors.
Enrison Land Inc, the real estate arm of Enrison Holdings is one of the newest players in the local real estate industry, but even this early, indications are, it is going to be a major player. It’s just a matter of time.
And why not, it is after all spawned by Cebu’s cement magnate, Benedicto family, who owns FilCement Inc. (Mabuhay Brand).
The family also owns Berben Wood Industries, a renowned name in high-end furnitures and BE Resorts in Mactan and Bohol.
BE Resort Mactan (📸 CTTO)
But their biggest advantage going into real estate lies in the substantial landbank they possess in very strategic locations in Metro Cebu.
This company is not just aggressive, it is a quick starter too, with its maiden residential project, BE RESIDENCES Lahug already under construction. It also launched just recently, BALAI in Mactan and another, BE UPTOWN in Juana Osmena coming up next.
This Cebuano company will certainly help transform Cebu’s skyline, no doubt!
The doorstep to metropolitan Cebu, the Municipality of Consolacion is at the crossroad of the urban and the rural, where the bustling meets the laidback.
Progress seems to have caught Consolacion by surprise as evident in its worsening traffic problem, agonizing northern Cebu bound motorists all the time.
A town on the verge of Cityhood and unstoppable growth, it is home to an SM City and two other malls, industrial and manufacturing complexes and an upcoming international container port.
Consolacion’s proximity to the urban core of Cebu makes it an ideal residential address as well. Local and national developers are scouring its mostly mountainous barangays for any available land to be developed.
Because of this, the town’s population has been increasing tremendously. It has more than doubled in just 15 years from the 63k in 2000 census to more than 133k in 2015.
With this trajectory, it is believed to have already crossed the population threshold of 150k, a vital requirement to become a city.
Consolacion’s growth is unstoppable, but it will have to manage it carefully so as not to hamper also the growth of its northern town neighbors.
As we draw this decade to a close, let us look back to the past ten years of Cebu’s Real Estate industry.
The 10’s decade (2010-2019) is the most progressive time in Cebu’s history by far. The skyline and the transformation of its landscape will tell you that. But what, and who defined Cebu’s growth during this period?
The rise of homegrown developers
After the 1997 Asian Crisis and during the early years of the new millenium, the industry was only growing moderately in mostly horizontal projects, but when an upstart local developer, Fuente Triangle and Realty Development Corp. started offering a series of high-rise condominiums in the uptown area, a sudden condominium frenzy was ignited and has not slowed down since then.
New local developers like Cebu Landmasters, AppleOne Properties and Innoland sprouted up and even the big companies from other industries were also inspired to diversify to real estate business.
Taft East Gate by TAFT Properties
From Metro Gaisano, TAFT Properties was born. It constructed Cebu’s tallest building today, Horizons 101, and also developed Taft East Gate.
Duros Land Properties is an offspring of a construction powerhouse while King Properties and Priland Development Corp. are from Heavy Equipments and Food.
Optimism of national developers
It did not take long for Manila based developers to notice that Cebu is ripe for more vertical projects and getting ready for a condominium lifestyle.
Ayala Land brought down its four brands altogether. Ayala Land Premier developed 1016, Park Point Residences and now, The Alcoves. Alveo Land had Sedona Parc then the Solinea series. Avida Land focused in I.T Park area, building its 7th tower now while Amaia is establishing a hub in Mandaue City.
Mactan Newtown
Federal Land took advantage of its landbank adjacent to Marco Polo Hotel and built a series of upscale towers overlooking the city.
Robinsons Land built a signature Galleria Mall and built condominiums on top, while another mixed-use development, Isla dela Victoria is just being started at the SRP.
Megaworld had its eyes fixed in Mactan island with a multi-billion township, Mactan Newtown.
By a similar strategy, Filinvest also pooled its resources around City di Mare, its massive township in South Road Properties.
Meanwhile, Rockwell, Arthaland and DMCI are also beginning to establish their own footholds in the city.
World-Class Cebu
Aside from the homegrown and the national developers, Cebu’s charm has also caught the eye of international property builders.
Hongkong Land, one of Asia’s oldest and biggest developers is building a game-changing sea-front development in Mandaue City called Mandani Bay. (In joint-venture with local TAFT Properties).
Another Chinese group, City Clou is investing in a 5-tower project in D. Jakosalem St. while a Korean group, Saekyung, also joined the fray as well with its affordable condominium projects in Mactan island.
Other proposals from a Singaporean firm and a large Dubai based developer are also now pending approval.
Strategic Alliances
Instead of engaging in cutthroat competition, developers have smartly combined their forces when necessary, to maximize productivity especially in a place like Cebu where land is getting scanty and scarce.
TAFT Properties for instance, has partnered with Hongkong Land for Mandani Bay in Mandaue City and Ayala Land for Sea Grove project in Mactan.
On the other hand, Ayala Land also has a consortium with SM Group for a 27 hectare project across SM Seaside City and another partnership with Aboitiz Land for a business district development in Mandaue reclamation area called The Gatewalk.
Aboitiz Land also inked a deal with Cebu Landmasters for a multi-tower residential project in another part of Mandaue City.
Cebu Landmasters, meanwhile, has a joint-venture with the Borromeo family in an office building project in Cebu Business Park and another with the Gothong group in a residential project inside I.T. Park.
Value of dormant land unlocked
Even church-owned estates in key areas of the city are now developed by private developers under a usufruct agreement, effectively unlocking the value of the land.
23 Minore Park by Duros Land Properties is an example and more recently, the Patria de Cebu re-development of Cebu Landmasters.
All these things happened in the last decade, where Cebu will be after another ten years is anybody’s guess.
Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the second son of Henry
Cebu Safari at Carmen, Cebu
J Centre Mall (CTTO)
Jpark Resort Mactan
J Tower Residences
And why not, it is after all spawned by Cebu’s cement magnate, Benedicto family, who owns FilCement Inc. (Mabuhay Brand).
The family also owns Berben Wood Industries, a renowned name in high-end furnitures and BE Resorts in Mactan and Bohol.
InfoCebu 